This print is an extension of a traditional story which tells the creation of the crayfish (Keiyari).
A young Meuram man, Keiyari, convinces a widowed Saisarem mother, Tekai, to allow her two reluctant daughters to assist him on his travels back to his village where they are introduced as his brides.The sisters soon attempt to flee with Keiyari in close pursuit. Eventually a battle transpires, and they are overcome by a reshaping metamorphosis.
This work was created for the Print Council of Australia Print Commission 2020. Established in 1967, the PCA Print Commission offers major promotional and professional development opportunities for selected artists. It also provides a vital source of revenue for the ongoing work of the Print Council of Australia.
About the artist
Daniel O’Shane has developed his own unique minar, or traditional patterning, drawn from both his ancestral Islander and mainland Aboriginal heritage. He identifies primarily with his mother’s Torres Strait Islander heritage in Erub Island (Eastern Torres Straits) whose tribes are Meuram, Saisarem, Peiudu and Samsup, language group Miriam Mer.
Daniel belongs to the Meuram tribe. His Aboriginal heritage on his father’s side is from the Mossman–Cooktown (Qld) region, Kunjandji clan, language group Kuku Yalanji.
This print is an extension of a traditional story which tells the creation of the crayfish (Keiyari).
A young Meuram man, Keiyari, convinces a widowed Saisarem mother, Tekai, to allow her two reluctant daughters to assist him on his travels back to his village where they are introduced as his brides.The sisters soon attempt to flee with Keiyari in close pursuit. Eventually a battle transpires, and they are overcome by a reshaping metamorphosis.
This work was created for the Print Council of Australia Print Commission 2020. Established in 1967, the PCA Print Commission offers major promotional and professional development opportunities for selected artists. It also provides a vital source of revenue for the ongoing work of the Print Council of Australia.
About the artist
Daniel O’Shane has developed his own unique minar, or traditional patterning, drawn from both his ancestral Islander and mainland Aboriginal heritage. He identifies primarily with his mother’s Torres Strait Islander heritage in Erub Island (Eastern Torres Straits) whose tribes are Meuram, Saisarem, Peiudu and Samsup, language group Miriam Mer.
Daniel belongs to the Meuram tribe. His Aboriginal heritage on his father’s side is from the Mossman–Cooktown (Qld) region, Kunjandji clan, language group Kuku Yalanji.
